Bright Shadows
by TheHiddenMuse
Summary: Alexandra Szelsky is a new student at St. Vladimir's. What really makes her unique is that she's a royal Moroi training to fight for the greater good, despite the taboos of Moroi combat. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough. Learning Magic? Impossible- ESPECIALLY if you hide the powerful element you wield.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _Two races of vampires walk our world. The Moroi are alive and wield elemental magic, while the Strigoi are undead and evil- feeding on the innocent to survive._

 _With the new and young Queen Vasilisa juggling her time between an education and her throne, the Moroi court is in chaos. The Strigoi Race has seized this opportunity to test this new court's strength and thus decided to rebuild their army. If the Moroi and Dhampir races want to avoid total catastrophe, they are going to have to find new ways to save themselves. The only problem is that the old traditions hinder the court from making new decisions._

 _Alexandra Szelsky is a new student at St. Vladimir's academy, an ex-student of the St. Lourdes academy in Miami, Florida. Why she moved, no one knows... But what really makes her unique is that she's a royal Moroi training to fight for the greater good, despite the taboos of Moroi combat. All she wants to do is graduate and become assigned to her majesty. Her only problem is that she bites a lot more than she can suck. Now she has to juggle Moroi AND Dhampir classes, as well as anything that she might come across in the great halls of St. Vladimir's._

 _Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough. Learning Magic? Impossible- ESPECIALLY if you don't know what element you wield._

 _How does one follow "They come first." when "they" is one's self?_

* * *

Author's note:

Hi there!

So I should apologize for being MIA for the past… 3… years… yeah. Sorry.

BUT IM BACK BABY HAHAHA!  
I've updated my story including a name and personality change of the protagonist. she's a rude bitch, and that's fine with me. You'll grow to hate yourself for loving her. It's going to have a lot more complex themes and subplots than the original because I love to F***ing complicate everything...  
I'll be updating weekly! so dont miss it! it gets a lot darker a lot quicker than you think. it also gets funnier but thats another thing


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Come on! Punch harder! Remind the school why we let you take these classes!" Guardian Schmidt yelled from the side lines as my sparring partner came at me with his left fist. His hand connected with my shoulder, knocking me flat on my rump. I thought this guy was a little tough for a new student, but the instructor did not give me a break. I used both legs and kicked the poor guy square in the chest. He staggered back. I used that brief imbalance as a chance to pounce and pin him onto the mat.

"Well done, Szelsky, you too, DaVinci. Both of you get A's for today" Schmidt applauded just as the bell rang. The novices headed out of the door toward the locker rooms.

"Nice job, newbie." The boy smiled and held his hand out. "The name's Leonard, Leonard DaVinci. You can call me Leo if you'd like, or… "

"Ginger, Ron, or ninja turtle" a tall, older Dhampir with scruffy, light brown hair, coal black eyes, and a mischievous smile interrupted.

I giggled, "Ninja turtle?"

"Yep, like the blue one, the more 'serious' one."

Leo sighed "I'm sorry for… him. He's a bit of a geek."

Scruffy hair huffed "am not!" the guys started to bicker, quite loudly. Wanting to get out of the confined space of the gym I came between them to try and end the conversation ASAP. "Guys it's fine! I like the ninja turtles. I get the reference."

"Dude you watch Teenage mutant ninja turtles? Oh man, you have just gained epic status." Epic status really? "The name is Raymond, Ray for short." He bowed gallantly. I rolled my eyes; Ray was going to be one of those guys to test my patience for sure.

"Nice to meet you" I said.

It felt kind of weird introducing myself like that. Back at the Everglades academy, aka St. Lourdes, everyone would kiss on the cheek the moment we wanted to say hi. Then again, it was a regional custom I've only seen in Latin American countries and Cities in which the Hispanic minority was actually a majority, like Miami. Even though I was half- Russian, half Turkish, I've always felt like a full blooded Latina. Spanish is my second language, not Russian or Turkish. I guess it was because my parents met in Mexico while on business. They got married and lived in Culiacan for ten years until I was three and my brother eleven. Then we moved to Miami. And somehow I just ended up over here.

"You're not too bad for a newbie." Leo grinned as he ruffled the few strands of hair that got loose from the bobby pin holding my bangs. I rolled my eyes.

In turn I tousled Leo's short, military styled, auburn locks. "Whatever, ginger-boy" I replied coyly, "You're just a freshman."

"But I doubt many girls can take on the Great Leonard DaVinci." He said in a haughty tone as he showed off his guns.

"Don't get such a big head Leo," Ray scoffed. I could detect a faint New York accent in his voice.

"Hey, I've been known to beat up senior novices even in middle school."

"Eh, lucky shot."

"Against Castille, Ashford, and Cortez?"

"Well, you did get your ass handed to you by the Hathaway chick that one time..."

"SHUT UP! Rose had Belikov for a teacher; the guy's practically a god"

"Sounds like someone has a crush…"

I smiled, "Well if you ladies are done here, I'm going to change"

"Sure we'll see you at lun- Oh!" ray shouted.

"What is it?" I inquired, befuddled as to what could have made him react like that.

"You're Moroi!" he answered.

I laughed and shrugged it off. "Yeah, I am. Pretty good for a fanger huh?"

"But you're so tan. And you have boobs!" Leo added. Ray and I stared at him. I should have taken a picture of Leo's face; he blushed redder than his own fiery hair.

"This is a Dhampir class though, since when are Moroi joining in?"

"Well, the whole class segregation was overruled three years ago, and since I keep failing my Moroi classes, I went the novice route instead."

"That's cool; we can always use more Moroi fighting with magic." Ray smiled. I bit my lip. The only reason I was failing the elements class was because… well I didn't specialize in any of the five elements.

I didn't want to specialize in any of the five elements.

Leo didn't seem to notice my nervousness. "I think we should shower and continue this conversation during lunch." I silently thanked him for changing the subject; I didn't want people I've only just met sticking their noses where they don't belong.

"Whoa there, Leo. You should first ask the girl out before you invite her into the shower..." Ray teased.

"Dude!" Leo blushed. "I don't even know your name."

"Magda Alexandra Szelsky." I told him.

"Szelsky, as in Lord Trenton Szelsky Daughter? Princess Ariana's Granddaughter?" Ray's dark eyes grew wide. I shrugged "Yeah, but the whole royal thing is dumb as hell."

"So you were a part of the attack in the summer palace?" Leo asked. My heart dropped. I really didn't want to relive that night in the as officially the worst night of my life, and just the mention of it brought gruesome pictures of the massacre back to mind.

"Um, Can I change, and then meet you guys later?" I asked abruptly. The Boys were slightly taken aback at my sudden change of subject. Ray seemed to pick up on my uneasiness.

"Sure. We'll be at the quad." He brined reassuringly as he ushered his confused best friend to the boy's locker room. I sighed in relief.

One in the locker room, I took a quick shower and changed back into my uniform. It was freezing outside, so I opted to wear my varsity softball jacket over the shabby cardigan. Winters in Montana were relentless, but even in winter the girls were forced to wear skirts. At least we got thermal tights.

As I strode across the hallways, I came across a lanky teenage Moroi with sandy brown hair and dark blue eyes. He would have looked like any other Moroi except…

He was a ghost.

I smiled.

"What's up, brother?"


	3. Chapter 2

The ghost of my brother raised his left hand in a military salute. He could be such a goof ball. I laughed.

"So how's life- err... death? Haunt any abandoned warehouses lately?"

He raised an eyebrow. I scowled, knowing I couldn't do that. His eyes twinkled in amusement. I've never seen a more animated ghost ever and trust me; I've seen plenty of ghosts.

He raised his arms and took a batting stance. He then swung a pantomimed bat and pretended to see it go far. I had to think this particular charade through like always.

"Baseball?" He gave me a thumbs up. It took me a second to understand what he meant, it was as though I could still read his mind and see through his eyes, even in death.

"No, Gabe, I haven't actually asked if there was a baseball- or softball- team. I've only been here all of two hours. I don't even know my room. All of my shit's in the main office..."

He put a hand to his mouth and shook his head, his way for scolding me for my language.  
"Dude, I'm not the thirteen year old sis you knew. It's been almost seven years. I grew boobs; I can say shit if I want. Watch me: shit, shit, shitty shit, shit."  
He smirked.

His head whipped towards the door. When I looked in that direction, a familiar Moroi girl entered the hallway.

"Hi Alexandra, remember me? Aimee Tarus? From camp? Of course you've got to remember me, who doesn't." Wow, I hadn't even talked to her for three seconds and she already annoyed the shit out of me. I tried to find something nice to say. "Of course. How could I forget? You kept playing Taylor Swift music while the sun was still up." It was pretty neutral, but whatever.

"Oh cool you do remember! So why'd you come to St. Vlad's? Did you get your classes? Wait shouldn't you have graduated with my brother like a year and a half ago? Why are you still here, you're like the smartest person ever." She talked so quickly it made my head spin.

"Ok I really need to get to lunch before the dessert table runs out. Do you have a point or can I just go?" I spat. I'm not going to justify my actions, but she was annoying and I was low on blood Sugar.

"Wow, um ok then." She dried up. "I was sent here by the şef to invite you over to the Mână. I don't know why I have to go through with Shura's shit, though he seems to want you, I have no idea why. Judging by you nasty ass attitude, I don't even want to waste my time trying to be nice. So just so you know, the Mână will be watching, expect an official invitation soon."  
I turned the other way and Exited through the gym.

My mind reeled with all sorts of questions, the main one being: What the hell? What is a Mână? It kind of sounds like the word for hand in Spanish -Mano- but the way she said it made me think of some shady high school Mafia. I did NOT want to get involved in that... yet.

I was so wound up in my own thoughts; I didn't notice the guardian I bumped into.  
"Oh I'm sorry" we said at the same time.

"Miss, you are not supposed to be wandering the halls." He said a heavy Spanish accent in his voice.

I glanced at him, he was tall, at least a foot taller than me, so like 6'5" or 6'7"; I can't really tell from this height. This guy was really buff, like a bear; maybe he was a bear... a big, tan bear. he had a nice face as well, with a square jaw line and big, round, olive green eyes, the only flaw I could detect was a thin pink scar marring the right corner of his jaw, tracing down under the collar of his Guns n' Roses T-shirt.

I would've gotten a better look at his hair if it wasn't for the red baseball cap on his head, from what I could see, his hair reached the base of his neck and it was dark, just like his well-tanned complexion. From the looks of it, he spent a lot of time in the sun.

This guy didn't seem too old, maybe 23 or 22-ish. Maybe in a few years when I finally graduated...

I shook off the thought. He eyed me carefully.

"I'm kind of lost. It's my first day here... ¿ _Usted me podría ayudar_?" I asked.  
" _Claro, la cafetería está por esas puertas y los alimentadores están hasta el final si necesita alimentarse_..."He pointed to the back doors and explained where the feeders were. I barely paid attention, focusing instead on his accent. It was unique, not one I heard often.  
"Thanks... Hey um... This may sound weird but... Are you Puerto Rican?" I inquired, making a mundane attempt at not sounding nosy.

"Yes. How you could tell?"

"I lived in Miami, I can tell accents apart." I admitted.

"But it's still hard to tell Cuban from Puerto Rican." He raised an eyebrow. Damn, not him too.  
"Not with practice, plus, your cap has a Coquí frog and a slogan that says 'Boricua hasta el fin.' Cubans don't refer to themselves as Boricua."

"Nice detective work, Miss Holmes... What is your name?"

"Alexandra."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Gabriel."

"Gabriel? As in Gabe?" I asked, aiming for a laid-back conversation. Finally, an easy-going Guardian.  
"No, as in Gabriel." He stiffened. "But it is Guardian Espinoza to you." I sighed, talk about harsh. I was only making conversation and he pulled the damn guardian card.

Growing weary of the Conversation, I decided to just end it there: "Well, Gabriel, it was nice meeting you, but I promised a few friends I would meet them for lunch, and I am very late. Bye!" I uttered as I ambled through the back doors he showed me.

Even though I was slightly irate, something about the chance meeting make me smile. The more I thought about it, his face seemed more and more familiar.

Gabriel... Just like Gabe, except he doesn't like the nickname.  
Good. One Gabe was enough.

Once outside, I looked around a swarm of faces. I was shocked, to put it bluntly, at how obvious the social hierarchy stood out. Right in the center, next to the fountain, Royal Moroi sat and gossiped idly. The more athletic Dhampirs sat next to them, probably for the viewing pleasure of the royals. They weren't too picky about who they sat with, they probably sat together because they were all friends, judging by the casual way they sat and laughed. Among them was Ray, who found me and motioned me to go sit with the Dhampirs.

I grabbed the last few food items available from the lunch line and waltzed on over to him.  
I made sure to acknowledge every royal on my way there. A few whispered behind my back. Half of those whispers were compliments- most of which were from guys on my body- but the other half were from the more elite asking things like who does she think she is, and, the more hurtful one came from a red head with light brown roots.

"This Newbie is just trying to get her next fix. These damn blood whores are destroying society as we know it."

Oh.

 _HELL_.

No.

I stopped in my tracks, spun on my heel, and faced her directly. I gave her a cloying smile, flashing my fangs.

"Just because I'm a little tanner, have a butt, and am in no need of a water bra, which you so obviously are wearing, doesn't mean I'm a Dhampir. You should also watch how you speak, I'd prescribe a reality check to be in order, and your royal ass owes its life to the Dhampirs. Or maybe you just need to Brush your teeth, because right now, all that that is coming out of your mouth is shit. Adiós." I turned my back on her and strolled to where Ray reserved my seat.

"Wow, you just stood up to Reyna Conta." he said.

"I see nothing queen-like about her." stated another Novice. She had skin the color of a fresh Latte, a slim, willowy build, and the curliest hair I've ever seen.

"Alexandra, this is Max. She's from Venezu-e-la." Leo said in an attempt to pronounce it right.

" _Es un placer en conocerte_. Ray here wouldn't shut up about how you beat Leo today. Well done." She said as she kissed my left cheek. Ray obviously wasn't used to the gesture. "Um yeah, she does that to say hi..."

"I know, it's how we say hello back at 'Glades."

Maxima chocked on her sprite. "You went to St. Lourdes?"

"Uh-huh." I nodded, taking a bite of the filled donut I grabbed, "Mmm... Bavarian cream. My favorite."

"Have you heard of Max Lion?" She grinned.

"You mean the boss pitcher on the baseball team? The one who integrated sexes and made girls able to join in? That chick was beast! I heard she left before I tried out once Moroi were cleared for registration."

"Looks like you got yourself a fan." Leo chimed as he squeezed through the limited seating in the table.

I dropped my donut. "No. Way."

She blushed.

"You're all coach Tito talked about. Don't mind me asking, but can I have a few pointers?"

"Sure!" she smiled.

"So here we have Magda and Max Lion, two girls from the same school, interested in the same sport, both meet the same school. Destiny wants us to form our own team here at St. Vlad's!" Ray said.

"Bro, you're such a clown" Leo sighed.

"A clown with a good idea, we need to talk to Kirova about this." I piped in.

"I'm in." Max declared.

"So am I." Leo followed.

"You know I'm in since I came up with the idea." Ray boasted.

"What's this about a team?" An older novice questioned. He showed up with a few other novices, most of whom I recognized from class. He was considerably paler than most Moroi I met, and had dark circles under his eyes. Despite looking sickly there was something really charming about his piercing blue gaze and confident smirk.

"Hi Clark." I chimed. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Hey, so about the team... I thought we couldn't get the funds; they used the entire Recreation budget for the Spring Fair. Ray, stop giving the new girl hope. We've tried this before. We're second class, so we're not going to matter."

"He's right Ray. We've got to talk to Kirova. And, besides, we have no coach." Max warned.  
Ray shrugged, "I'll take care of that."

"If funds are the only thing you guys need, I've got that covered." I chimed. My grandma knew how passionate I was about baseball, and shed be more than happy to donate her time. "Just tell Kirova that we just need a chance to use the trial stadium."  
"What if she says no?" Leo asked skeptically.

One of the big novices joined in, "Go to Alberta and tell her Bruce wants to join the team. My aunt can't say no to her only nephew. She loves me too much." Like Clark, Bruce also had dark circles under his deep blue eyes. Bruce was Clark's Best friend, and one could confuse them for brothers. Unlike Clark's amicable and open nature, Bruce came off as Aloof and very stoic. Judging by the way everyone stared in awe; I'm guessing this was the first time he had talked in a while.

We spent the whole lunch period coordinating the team name, mascot, colors, and uniform. Slowly but surely more people joined in the conversation from other tables. We decided to meet at sunrise near the stadium with the ok.  
The bell rang, ending lunch. We dispersed. It wasn't until then that I realized our table was beyond overcrowded with excited Novices excited to either join the team or watch them in action. It was sad that this school had so much team spirit but no way to express it. The student body would have something else to focus on aside from lunch.

I noticed how some other people eyed me curiously. Talk about Reyna and I must have spread. I said hello to those who would stare, but no one would talk to me. Rough crowd, I guess...  
Once I reached the classroom, I made my way inside, glad to be far from those stares. I took my seat in the front of the class by the middle, only to be met by the stares of my classmates. I sighed.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Author's Note:

* _Usted me podria Ayudar_?- Could you help me? * _Claro, la cafetería está por esas puertas y los alimentadores están hasta el final si necesita alimentarse_ \- Of course , the mess hall is through those doors and the feeders are at the very end if you need to feed * _Es un placer en conocerte_ \- It's a pleasure to meet you 


End file.
